Mowing-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

P. & L..P. LORENZ..

MOWING MACHINE. No. 414,068. Patented Oct. 29, 1889.

(No Mom.) 2 sheetssheet 2.

P. & L. P. LORENZ MOWING MACHINE.

No. 414,063. Patented 001;. 29, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP LORENZ AND LEW'IS P. LORENZ, OF RIMERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MOWI'NG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,063, dated October29, 1889.

Application led May 16, 1889. Serial No. 310,951. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that` we, PHILIP LORENZ and LEWIS P. LORENZ, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Rimersburg, in the county of Clarion andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Mowing-Machine, ofwhich the following is a specification. This invention relates tomowing-machines and it has for its object to construct a machine of thisclass which shall be simple, inexpensive, and durable, and which mayconveniently ass over stumps and other obstructions whic i maybeencountered in the course of its passage over the fields.

The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, andcombination of details, which will be hereinafter fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a mowing-machineembodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of thesame, with dotted lines showing the cutter-bar raised to a verticalposition. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. e is a longitudinal sectionalview taken on the line cc a; in Fig. 3.

The same letters refer to the saine parts in` all thel figures.

The frame of our improved mowing-machine comprises the axle A, which isprovided at one end with a spindle B for the drivewheel C, and at itsopposite end with a tubular spindle D, upon which is journaled asupporting-wheel. E. The axle, which may be constructed of iron orsteel, is composed of two upper bars F F and a lower brace or truss rodG, which together form a very strong and durable axle, and between whichspace is aforded for certain parts of the operating mechanism, as willbe hereinafter more fully described.

The drive-wheel O is provided 0n its inner side with a driving-gear II,which meshes with a pinion I, mounted upon a shaft J, which is journaledin brackets or boxes K K, extending upwardly from the axle adjacent tothe spindle B. The inner end of the shaft J carries a bevel-gear L,'which meshes with a pinion M, mounted upon the outer end of a shaft N,which is journaled vertically in a bracket O, secured upon the upperside of the axle. A cap P, suitably hinged to the rear side of the axle,serves to cover and protect the operating-gears when the machine is inmotion. The bevel-gear L is mounted loosely upon the shaft J, and it isprovided on its inner side with a clutch P', adapted to engage aclutch-collar Q, feathered and sliding loosely upon the shaft J. Saidclutchcollar is provided with an annular groove R, engaging with thelower end of a forked lever S, which is pivoted to one of the bracketsK, and by means of which the clutch-collar Q may be thrown into or outof engagementwith the clutch P upon the bevel-gear L, to which motionmay thus be imparted from the driving-wheel at the will of the operator.Formed upon the lower end of the vertical shaft N is a crank T, having awrist-pin U, which is connected pivotally with the trans-Versely-reciprocating rod or pitman V, which extends through the tubularsleeve 0r spindle D at the opposite end of the axle, and is providedwith a downwardly-extending arm W. The tubular sleeve or spindle is madesufficiently large to allow for the lateral movement of the pitman.

X designates a bracket, which is secured longitudinally, with respect tothe line of motion, upon the end of the axle having the tubular spindleD, and provided at its rear end with a bearing for a spindle Y,extending laterally from the adj usting-frame Z, the front end of whichis likewise provided with a spindle 2, extending laterally through asegmental slot or opening 3 in the front end of the bracket X. Thelatter is provided on its upper side with a segmental rack 4, adapted tobe engaged by a spring bolt or latch 5, atcached to a lever 6, which ismounted pivotally upon the inner side of the bracket X, and which isprovided at its lower end with an arm 7, the outer end of which isconnected by a pivoted rod 8 with the spindle 2. It will be seen that bythis mechanism the front end of the adj usting-frame may be adjustedvertically and retained securely at any elevation to which it may beadjusted. The adjusting-frame is provided at its lower end with the shoe9, in which the finger-bar 10 of the cutting apparatus is mountedpivotally upon a longitudinal pin 0r bolt 10. The outer end of the saidfinger-bar is provided IOO with the shoe 11, which is of ordinaryconstruction, and the said finger-bar is provided with suitable bearingsfor the transverselyreciprocating cutter-bar 12. .The latter is providedat its inner end with a bracket 13, which is connected with thedownwardly-extending arm W of the transversely-reciprocating rod V bymeans of alink or pitman 14.

15 is a standard rising vertically from the end of the axle adjacent tothe tubular spindle D, and provided at its outer end with a bearing inwhich a bell-crank lever 16 is pivotally mounted. The outer arm ofsaidbellcrank is connected with the finger-bar 10 byt series ,of ratchets20, formed upon the said standard. It will be seen that by manipulating.the said hand-lever the iinger-bar may be raised or elevated to andretained in an approximately vertical position, as shown in Y dottedlines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Vhen in this position, the Ventireweight of the cutting apparatus rests -in the shoe 9 of the adjusting-frame Z, which latter may be elevated sufficiently to clear the groundby means of the adjusting mechanism herein described, thereby enablingthe machine to be conveniently transported from place to place.

21 designates the tongue of our improved mowing-machine, which is boltedor otherwise suitably secured upon the upper side of the axle, and whichis provided with suitable means for the attachment of the draft.Suitably mounted upon the said tongue is the seat-bar 22, the upper endof which carries the seat 23 for the driver and operator, who, it willbe observed, is within convenient reach of the levers S, 6, and 19, bymeans of which the various parts of the machine are adjusted foroperation.

The operation and advantages of our improved moWing-machine will bereadily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the drawings hereto annexed. When the driving-wheel C rotates, thegear-wheel H upon its inner side meshes with the pinion I upon the shaftJ, to whichy Sthe cutting mechanism may be instanta-A neously throwninto or out of gear, as occasion may require. The height of the cuttingapparatusfrom the ground may be regulated by properly adjusting thefront end of the adjusting-frame Z, in which the cutting apparatus ismounted, and this may be readily accomplished by-means of the lever 6.When the machine is to be transported over the roads, and when thecutting apparatus is not in use, it may be raised to and retained in avertical position by means of the lever 19, such adjustment being madepossible owing to the iiexible or link connection between thereciprocating cutting-bar and the arm W of the pitman V. It will beobserved that no part of the operating mechanism is located below theaxle of the machine, and that by reason of this construction the machineis enabled to clear and pass freely over any obstructions-such as rocksand stumps-which may be encountered in its passage over the field. Theherein-described construction of the axle within which theoperating-pitman is located is also efficient in guardingand protectin gthe operating mechanism from injury. The general construction is simpleand inexpensive, and, the machine consisting of comparatively few parts,there is but little friction to overcome, and hence the draft of ourimproved machine will be found to bevery light in proportion to itscapacity.

While we have in the foregoing described the preferred construction ofour improved mowing-machinavwe reserve the right to any j ing it in anapproximately horizontal position, and a pitman arranged in the tubularspindle and connected with the reciprocating cutter-bar, substantiallyas herein set forth.

2. In a mowing-machine, the combination of the axle having a tubularspindle at one end, the horizontal bracket mounted upon said axle, theadjusting-frame connected pivotally with the rear end of said bracket,means for adjusting the front end of said frame vertically, the cuttingapparatus mounted pivotally in a shoe at the lower end of saidadjusting-frame, mechanism for raising the l said cutting apparatus toand retaining it in an approximately vertical position, atransversely-reciprocating pitman having a bearl ing in the tubularspindle of the axle, mechj anism for transmitting motion to said pitmane from the driving-wheel of the machine, and

a link connecting the outer end of said pitman with thetransversely-reciprocating cutl ter-bar, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

IOO

IIO

3. In a mowing-`n1achine,the combination,

with the axle having a tubular spindle, of the longitudinal bracketmounted upon the said axle, the adj Listing-frame connected pivotally tothe rear end of said bracket and having at its front end an armextending laterally through a segmental slot in the front end of thesaid bracket, a lever connected pivotally to the inner side of the saidbracket and having a spring-latch engaging With a segmental rack formedupon the said bracket, a link connecting said lever pivotally with thearm extending from the adj listing-frame, a shoe formed at the lower endof the latter, the cutting apparatus mounted pivotally in the said shoe,and a link connecting the transverselyreciprocating cutter-bar with anarm extending downwardly from the outer end of a pitinan arranged t0reciprocate in the tubular spindle of the axle, and mechanism fortrans-A mitting motion to the said pitnian from the drivin g-Wheel ofthe machine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a mowing-machine, the combination of the axle having a tubularspindle at one end, a bracket mounted longitudinally upon the said axle,the adjusting-frame connected pivotally to the rear end of said bracket,mechanism for adj usting the front end of said frame vertically, thecutting apparatus mounted pivotally in a shoe in the lower end of saidadjusting-frame, a link connecting the cutterbar with a pitman arrangedto reciprocate in the tubular spindle of the axle, lmeans fortransmitting motion to said pitlnan from the driving-Wheel of themachine, a standard rising vertically from the axle, a bell-crank leverat the upper end of said standard, a link connecting one arm of saidbell-crank with the finger-bar of the cutting apparatus, a hand-leverconnected pivotally to the stand-` ard and adapted to engage a series ofteeth or ratchets formed thereon, and a link connecting said hand-leverwith the vertical arm of the said bell-crank, all constructed andoperating substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shownand specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

PHILIP LORENZ.

LEWIS P. LORENZ.

Witnesses:

D. W. CHICK, D. M. FLICK.

